Hashawha runners make their way across the rolling fields during the 2010 race.
Alan Gowen
Hashawha Hills 50 km Trail Run
31 miles of trails, old woods roads, open fields, and plenty of hills with a couple of stream crossings thrown in just for fun.
Information
- Race starts
-
- Sat Feb 22, 2025 at 7:30 am
- Entry opens
- Location
-
- Hashawha Environmental Center Bear Branch Nature Center
Westminster, MD
- Hashawha Environmental Center Bear Branch Nature Center
- Jonathan Gowen
Run Details
Pre-race and post-race will be indoors. We’ve reserved the heated auditorium and bathrooms located indoors at the Bear Branch Nature Center. There will be hot food and drink indoors at the finish.
Pre-Race
Please arrive in time for a pre-race briefing in the Bear Branch auditorium at 7:10 AM. When you arrive, please park as directred by the Parking Czar. Parking is limited and we appreciate your cooperation. The Bear Branch Nature Center will remain open to the public during our race, and we need to allow access for, and be courteous to, the public.
Post-Race
After the race, celebrate your accomplishment and swap lies with everyone else while you warm up with hot food and drinks in the Bear Branch auditorium. The park has a no alcohol policy.
Weather
In past years we’ve experienced high winds, cold temperatures, slick ice, amazing mud, snow, and some all round miserable weather. Even so, the race will be held unless we’re in the midst of a howling blizzard (a real blizzard, not what the TV guys call a blizzard). Even though we will try to notify everyone by email if we should need to cancel the event, we will post a notice on this web site, so be sure to check here if you are in doubt.
Start / Finish
The start, finish, and mid-point of the race will be at a covered picnic pavilion just a two minute walk from the Bear Branch auditorium. After you finish your race, join us indoors in the Bear Branch Auditorium for hot food and drink.
Awards
There will be unique handmade awards for the first male and female finishers.
Some rules
The Hashawha Hills 50 km Trail Run complies with the VHTRC policy on personal listening devices. The short explanation is that we don’t want you to use them. Hashawha Hills also complies with the VHTRC cancellation policy
Sponsorship
The Hashawha Hills Trail Run is another event sponsored by the Virginia Happy Trails Running Club.
Volunteers
If this race is to be a success, we’ll need to have some help on race day. Feel good about yourself and make us look good too by volunteering. Contact the race director, Jonathan Gowen, using the link above.
The Course
- Distance
-
- 50 km
- Total ascent/descent
-
- 5,800 feet
- Aid stations
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- 5 aid stations
- 1 with dropbags
- Time cutoff
-
- 9 hours
The course has about two miles of asphalt, three miles of gravel road, and 26 miles of trail. The course is mostly single track trails along with some old woods roads and open fields. The entire course is runnable. There are no mountains, no rocks, and no roots, but there are a few stream crossings (you will get your feet wet) and never ending small hills to wear you down with a few bigger hills thrown in just for fun. The scenery changes from mostly woods to meadows and open fields with beautiful views of rolling farmland. The course will be well marked for the entire distance; however, runners will have to pay attention to remain on course.
Course markings
The course will be marked with pink ribbons hung from branches, sign posts, small pink flags stuck in the ground, and blue arrow signs. Most intersecting trails will be blocked with red ribbons across them.
Remember
- Always follow the closest pink marking
- Disregard arrow signs seen from the back or side
- Never cross red
Aid stations
There will be five opportunities for aid. The aid stations will be fully stocked with water, Gatorade, PB&J sandwiches, chips, pretzels, cookies, M&M’s, Coke, Mt Dew, etc. Please note that you will have to run up to 8.5 miles between aid so be sure to come prepared to do that.
Drop Bags
The start-finish line is at the same location as the 15.5 mile Aid Station 3. This is a covered pavilion where there is plenty of space for you to leave a drop bag if you so desire. Bring your drop bag to the indoors pre-race briefing and then carry it with you to the start-finish after the pre-race briefing.
Time Cutoffs
The race will start at 7:30 am. There is a 9 hour time limit (4:30 pm) to complete the course. Additionally, there is a cutoff of 4:15 (11:45 am) at the 15.5 mile aid station. Course record for men: 3:31:44 (Michael Daigeaun, 2013). Course record for women: 4:27:03 (Sheila Vibert, 2017)
Meteorological information
While late February in Maryland is usually cold, spring-like conditions have occurred. Watch the weather forecast and plan accordingly.
Read the local weather forecast.
What’s it like?
Watch these videos from Jonathan Gowen and Paul Encarnación. Also, read reports from previous years.
Entry
Registration
We use the “VHTRC entry system.” Simply, you apply, we hold a lottery, and then you come back and either pay the entry fee or join the wait list.
In the past, when we had a first come first-served registration system, we were a little embarrassed by the speed with which Hashawha Hills filled up. Because the race filled so quickly, we felt it wasn’t as fair as we would have liked it to be. In the spirit of fairness we now use the lottery system that the VHTRC previously used to use for the Bull Run Run and the Massanutten Mountain Trails 100. Hashawha is now the only VHTRC event to use this entry system.
The lottery for the 2025 running of Hashawha Hills will open on Jan 1, 2025 and will be open for 10 days.
The wait list is prioritized. The priorities will give wait list priority to prior finishers.
Entry Fee
In 2010 and 2011 the entry fee was an exorbitant $20.00. We really wanted to be sure runners got their money’s worth, so in 2012 the entry fee was reduced to $19.85. In 2013 we reduced the fee again to $19.75, and in 2014 to $19.65, and in 2015 we dropped down to a ridiculous $19.55. The entry fee was reduced to an unbelievable $19.45 in 2016. Do you notice a trend here? The insanity continues! In 2017 the entry was a paltry $19.35. In 2018, the entry fee was a just plain stupid $19.25. It was $19.15 in 2019 and $19.05 in 2020. (We did not hold the event in 2021.) Now hold onto your hats, because we will reduce the entry fee yet again. The entry fee for 2024 will be a mind blowing $18.75!
What You Get For Your Entry Fee
You will receive a great trail race with a very well-marked route, well-stocked aid stations, and hot post race food and drink indoors. All finishers will receive a beautiful Hashawha Hills mug, hand made by a local potter. There will be special awards for the top male and female finishers.
Refunds
We will give refunds (less five dollars) to those who notify us of their withdrawal by the date on the Entry Start Page. To withdraw, go to the withdrawal page (link at the top of the entry page). There must be someone on the wait list to take the place of the person who withdraws for a refund to be issued.
Results
| Name | Time | Age | Year | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | Male | Michael Daigeaun | 3:31:44 | 33 | 2013 |
| Female | Sheila Vibert | 4:27:03 | 35 | 2017 | |
| Masters (40–49) | Male | Paul Jacobs | 3:47:43 | 41 | 2020 |
| Female | Kristin Bremer | 4:35:13 | 41 | 2013 | |
| Senior (50–59) | Male | Henry Peck | 4:38:43 | 54 | 2012 |
| Female | Lori Johnson | 5:16:08 | 53 | 2017 | |
| Super Senior (60+) | Male | Gary Knipling | 5:39:57 | 67 | 2011 |
| Female | Samirah Abdul-Fattah | 7:17:24 | 63 | 2020 |
2024 Report
- Men's winner
- Daniel Jacobs (4:00:24)
- Women's winner
- Steph Hill (5:00:50)
- Stats
- 108 starters, 96 finishers
89% finishing rate
2023 Report
- Men's winner
- Simon Arendt (4:15:30)
- Women's winner
- Shannon Cebron (4:54:39)
- Stats
- 104 starters, 95 finishers
91% finishing rate
2022 Report
- Men's winner
- Jonathan Gowen (3:59:09)
- Women's winner
- Molly Ritter (4:53:54)
- Stats
- 105 starters, 90 finishers
86% finishing rate
2020 Report
- Men's winner
- Stefano Ruzza (3:47:21)
- Women's winner
- Kristen Serafin (4:43:38)
- Stats
- 110 starters, 105 finishers
95% finishing rate
2019 Report
- Men's winner
- Aaron Schwartzbard (4:23:28)
- Women's winner
- Sheila Vibert (4:48:08)
- Stats
- 113 starters, 98 finishers
87% finishing rate
2018 Report
- Men's winner
- Adam Watkins (4:19:21)
- Women's winner
- Sarah Mikalauskas (5:15:41)
- Stats
- 108 starters, 101 finishers
94% finishing rate
2017 Report
- Men's winner
- Jarrod Brennet (3:56:19)
- Women's winner
- Sheila Vibert (4:27:03)
- Stats
- 106 starters, 99 finishers
93% finishing rate
2016 Report
- Men's winner
- Jason Lantz (4:07:21)
- Women's winner
- Sarah Mikalauskas (5:03:58)
- Stats
- 111 starters, 98 finishers
88% finishing rate
2015 Report
- Men's winner
- Chris McIntosh (5:24:22)
- Women's winner
- Lori Cooper (6:27:02)
- Stats
- 96 starters, 53 finishers
55% finishing rate
2013 Report
- Men's winner
- Michael Daigeaun (3:31:44)
- Women's winner
- Kristin Bremer (4:35:13)
- Stats
- 108 starters, 93 finishers
86% finishing rate
2012 Report
- Men's winner
- Angus Repper (4:14:14)
- Women's winner
- Erika Ebright (5:06:38)
- Stats
- 101 starters, 91 finishers
90% finishing rate
2011 Report
- Men's winner
- Olivier Leblond (4:09:30)
- Women's winner
- Gaby Gorman (4:45:15)
- Stats
- 75 finishers
2009 Report
- Men's winner
- Travis Warren (4:22)
- Women's winner
- Michele Harmon (5:24)
- Stats
- 80 starters, 32 finishers
40% finishing rate
2008 Report
- Men's winner
- Joe Clapper (4:48:36)
- Women's winner
- Diana Widdowson (5:47:40)
- Stats
- 48 starters, 30 finishers
63% finishing rate